For Seniors: How to Customize the Windows Taskbar

You can customize the location and appearance of the Windows taskbar. The taskbar contains icons (buttons) for open windows, as well as icons that are pinned to the taskbar so that you can open those windows with just a click. To change the way the taskbar looks and acts:

Right-click the taskbar and choose Properties.

The Taskbar tab of the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box appears.

Click the Taskbar Location on Screen drop-down list. Select the Top option and then click the Apply button.

The taskbar moves to the top of the screen. With the taskbar at the top, menus drop down instead of popping up. Because most windows have toolbars near the top of the window, you don’t have to move the mouse as far between taskbar and toolbar.

In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, click the Taskbar Buttons drop-down list. Select the Combine When Taskbar Is Full option and then click the Apply button

On the taskbar, the button for Taskbar and Start Menu Properties includes some text, as in the previous version of Windows. With this option, you trade more information on the button for fewer buttons on the taskbar.

If the Use Aero Peek check box is unavailable, click the Show Desktop button to see the desktop.

Under Preview Desktop with Aero Peek, the Use Aero Peek check box is unavailable if your graphics card doesn’t support this feature. Aero Peek automatically turns all windows transparent when you hover over the Show Desktop button to the right of the clock on the taskbar — it’s a narrow space that doesn’t really look like a button. Aero Peek allows you to see the desktop background, icons, and gadgets without having to minimize windows.